Grateful Dead

February 23 - March 1, 2009

Welcome back to the Tapers' Section, as we close out February with some excellent music spanning the Grateful Dead's first decade.

Our first selection today is from 2/23/66, a studio rehearsal that features some cool jams that form the bread of a Jam>Good Lovin' Jam>Jam sandwich. It's one of those neat little discoveries that was buried deep within the vault, and that's our pleasure to present here today.

Next we have a couple of selections from the first night of the famed Fillmore West 1969 run, from 2/27/69, specifically Good Morning Little Schoolgirl and That's It For The Other One. There was so much great music played over these four nights that we could spend hours listening to this run. In fact, we often do here at the Tapers' Section HQ. Oh, also from that run is this excellent Cosmic Charlie from 3/1/69. Tasty stuff.

We now have a little musical interlude from 2/28/73 in Salt Lake City, a standalone He's Gone, from the superb Dick's Picks Vol. 28, which consists of two concerts (2/26&28/73) filled with stellar early 1973 Grateful Dead.

Comments

I just listened to the second set (Sugar Magnolia>Not Fade Away>GTRFB>Not Fade Away, Baby Blue) and I had this set on the back of the audio tape I had . . . except Lacy left out the Sugar Magnolia. I think I remember him apologising for that.

This is a major part of what I was listening to when I first got serious about guitar and was dosing heavily . . . nearly 20 years ago. It was an intense time of deep reflection.

This weeks music includes one of the sets recorded on one of the tapes my old guitar mentor (Scot Lacy or "Liquid Lacy") gave to me. The tapes were meant to introduce me to the Dead and to take me to new places where I could learn and grow as a guitarist. The tapes worked and heavily influenced my playing.

We haven't finished with the technichal part (My Uncle Danny Fincher is here visiting - he's a professional sound man who knows and has worked with EVERYONE including Hendrix and B.B. King and such), but soon folks will get to hear ME (known as Eric Finch) playing LIVE in Tennessee (TOTAL Redneck bar) where I jammed out a quick, "Franklin's Tower" (for the most anti-hippie audience immaginable) that brings you the Grateful Dead experience that you normally get from a, "Morning Dew" like this one we're listening to this week. This "Morning Dew" still influences my playing and I REALLY loved listening to it again and remembering the HIGH TIMES on the Boardwalk in San Diego when I met the strangest person I have ever met. Straight out of the Twilight Zone, Liquid Lacy materialized from the purple haze and introduced me to the Dead and forever shaped the way that I would persue and play music. Now that he's no longer with us I'm proud to have used a lick we learned together which got me a resounding round of applause from hardcore Christians. The audience participation was AMAZING!!!

Deadheads - watch for me posting places where you can download free Dead covers and original tunes from a Deadhead singer/songwriter with a lifetime of Deadhead experiences. Geez - my Dad even played (trumpet) for George Bush Jr. . . . we really get around. Let's keep the music alive!!!

I saw Dark Star Orchestra do it at the Great American Music Hall back in '07 and it's got one of the best playlists of any dead show, ever. I mean, Jack Straw, China->Rider, Candyman, full Weather Report Suite (into Row Jimmy?!), the centerpiece Darkstar->Morning Dew and then more. I have mp3s of the soundboard I downloaded from somewhere (ahem) but an official. Rhino-ized release would be very welcome.

I know that there does seem to be a considerable amount of emphasis on shows before 1979, in all the releases, but that's just a matter of demographics and marketing. The people that listen to the 60s and 70s are in their 50s and 60s. Can't market to them for many more years, while the young'uns that followed the 80s and 90s Dead will probably still be around for awhile, and probably haven't maxed out their income potential either.

Let me first say that the "tapers section" is a very unique piece of the history documenting the band's recorded history. However it is like the Grateful Dead didn't exist after 1974. I don't know whether the powers that be didn't like Brent...or don't think their later years are worthy...I don't know what the problem is. I know the high points were not as frequent as the 67 - 74 period, but there were still a lot of great performances even up to the end. C'mon David give Brent & Vince their due...let's hear some 79 to 95 stuff. Especially 88 to 95.

Who's Online

Online users

Newsletter

Get the latest news on Grateful Dead releases and more straight to your inbox.

By submitting your email address you acknowledge and agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and are okay with receiving news, updates, special offers and occasional marketing messages from us and our affiliates.

Newsletter

Get the latest news on Grateful Dead releases and more straight to your inbox.

Signup!

By submitting your email address you acknowledge and agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and are okay with receiving news, updates, special offers and occasional marketing messages from us and our affiliates.